“Amaretti di Saronno” Romantic Mac & Cheese

Contrary to popular belief, the amaretti cookie and amaretto liqueur are unrelated. Both apricot kernel based delicacies hail from the Saronno region in Lombardy, Italy.

Amaretti cookies are enjoyed as a delightful treat with coffee, at tea time or with a digestif at the end of a meal and are widely available in grocery stores around the world.

The legend of the amaretti cookie is quite romantic. It is believed that in the early 18th century, an ambassador from the Vatican made an unscheduled stop in the town of Saronno. So surprised and humbled by this visit, a newly married couple raided their pantry and whipped up a batch of dry biscuits made of sugar, egg whites and crushed apricot seeds which are so sweet and fragrant they are used in the almonds stead. The guest, so pleased with the aromatic sweets, blessed the couple with a happy and lifelong union. This fortuitous event resulted in the preservation of the secret amaretti recipe over many generations until the sweet became popular and mass produced for the world to enjoy.

The pairing of nutty amaretti, sweet butternut squash and creamy sauce is so delicious. So sinful. So breathtakingly beautiful. That you won’t need your lover to make your heart flutter or your eyes twinkle, but in this case, throw moderation out of the window.